Quest Rubric

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Your Quest

Your quest is to find your own story of Iowa – what is interesting to you and why it is important. You will investigate Iowa people, places, events, and ideas. Discover your own pathway as you make connections between topics.

Follow the four steps below to complete your Iowa Quest.

1. Browse the Site.

Start your Quest by looking around the Iowa Pathways Web site to see how it is organized. Click on a few Pathways to see where they take you. Read some articles, explore the Side Trails, and dig up a few Artifacts.

2. Choose a Topic.

Consider possible topics for your investigation. What topics interest you? How could they be interesting to others?

Your topic can be a big idea or a specific point of interest. For example, your topic may show how something changed over time or a particular event or era that was significant. It may be about an important decision or an event that happened by chance. It could be about a person or a controversial issue.

What is your top choice?

3. Make Connections.

Research your topic. Read through the article for basic facts and explore related Pathways. When researching, consider these questions:

What else was going on at the time?

Why was this important at the time?

How did this shape Iowa’s past? Its future?

Does this have an impact today? How?

Explore related Pathways, Artifacts, and Side Trails and find at least five other topics or ideas that relate to your topic and your research questions.

4. Tell Your Story.

Summarize your Quest by telling the story of your Iowa pathway. What did you research? How are all of these ideas connected? Explain why your topic is important to Iowa.